Saint-Nicaise Church

The Saint-Nicaise church is a unique structure thanks to its Greek cross layout and its both Roman and picturesque styles. It was built in 1923-1924 by Jacques Marcel Auburtin, at the behest of the industrialist Georges Charbonneaux. The decoration is in keeping with the reflection of the time that led to the resurgence of religious art. It was entrusted to Gustave Jaulmes, a fan of the initial, classic Art Deco (Christ in the apse in a culde- four), and Maurice Denis, the leader of the “Ateliers d’Art sacré” (Workshops of Religious Art) (side chapels, baptistery). Other well known artists were involved, such as René Lalique (glass), Jean Berque (Stations of the Cross), Roger de Villiers (Nativity, Joan of Arc), Emma Thiollier (Saint Thérèse, doorway tympanum), Édouard Sediey (baptismal font), and ateliers Simon (windows). The materiality of the wooden furniture, designed by Auburtin in the modern and rustic style of the 1920s, accentuates the artistic cohesion of the work as a whole.